Any tips for decluttering book and magazine stash???

I'm finally motivated by the thought that I will have room for a machine quilting frame setup *if* I can make enough space in our mechanical room. I have boxes and boxes of books and magazines that I have not looked at since we moved here 7 years ago. (!)

Guess I'm doing okay, but it's hard to stay on task. And, when I start moving books from the "sell or give away" pile back into the "keeper" pile, I get worried about myself. Right now the two stacks are about equal.

I have entire years of vintage quilting magazines that are going to have to go. Not sure if I should go through every magazine, page by page, in case there is something in there I want to keep.

if you need inspiration, there is so much here on the QB you would never need to spend time going through magazines. I would say to donate them to your library. That way, if someone here suggests a particular magazine, you know you can go there to see 'yours'.

Nancy in western NYbefore you speak THINKT – is it True? H – is it Helpful? I – is it Inspiring? N – is it Necessary? K – is it Kind?

I've kept some magazines to look through, but to be honest, most of the older ones don't have rotary cutting patterns, so I'm not likely to ever use them. As far as looking for inspiration, as others have said, there's plenty on the web, and there are always more magazines out there when you feel the need...

The only old magazines I keep intact are Quilter's Newsletter because they're more of a history of quilting. The rest I flip thru really quick and if there's something that really catches my eye I use a small cutter and cut it out and toss the rest of the magazine.

You can also offer them on the board for the cost of shipping. The medium flat rate box is about 11.00 bucks and holds a ton of magazines.

Keep them until they dry rot. No, seriously, I had/have the same problem. I kept every magazine because there was "good stuff in them I might need". I gave all my QNL collection to a new quilter (and I had some of the first years) who now quilts rings around me. Others I bundled for yard sale or donation. If your stacks are more than a year old chances are you should let them go. New ideas come out and shove the old ones to the back of our minds making mental clutter.

My husband has the same problem big time. He has to keep every publication. I packed a huge trunk with mags. from the 1950's forward, boxes and boxes and he has a row about three feet high along the wall. Magazines! Just magazines! And travel folders, restaurant info., souvenir booklets, old catalogues......for cars, guns, lanterns, knives, tools, more cars, railroadiana....

Keep them until they dry rot. No, seriously, I had/have the same problem. I kept every magazine because there was "good stuff in them I might need". I gave all my QNL collection to a new quilter (and I had some of the first years) who now quilts rings around me. Others I bundled for yard sale or donation. If your stacks are more than a year old chances are you should let them go. New ideas come out and shove the old ones to the back of our minds making mental clutter.

My husband has the same problem big time. He has to keep every publication. I packed a huge trunk with mags. from the 1950's forward, boxes and boxes and he has a row about three feet high along the wall. Magazines! Just magazines! And travel folders, restaurant info., souvenir booklets, old catalogues......for cars, guns, lanterns, knives, tools, more cars, railroadiana....

Some of that stuff would sell well on ebay. I sold an old gun catalog for a neighbor.

What about you will be different in the coming next 7 years than the last 7 years? If you didn't use them in the last 7 years what makes you think you will use them in the next 7 years? If you could trade even up, the magazines for
a quilting frame, would you keep the magazines and not get the frame? You need to be able to decided what is important to you. Are you a hoarder?